Biomaterial Database

Genotoxicity in herring gulls (Larus argentatus) in Sweden and Iceland. 2010

Halldora Skarphedinsdottir, and Gunnar Thor Hallgrimsson, and Tomas Hansson, and Per-Ake Hägerroth, and Birgitta Liewenborg, and Ulla Tjärnlund, and Gun Akerman, and Janina Barsiene, and Lennart Balk

Department of Applied Environmental Science, Unit of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. halldora@itm.su.se

Adult and young herring gulls (Larus argentatus) in Sweden and Iceland were investigated with respect to DNA adducts, analysed with the nuclease-P1 version of the (32)P-postlabelling method, and micronucleated erythrocytes. Three important aims were: (1) to estimate the degree of exposure to genotoxic environmental pollutants in the Baltic Sea area and Iceland, (2) to evaluate the utility of the investigated biomarkers in birds, and (3) to investigate if there was any relationship between genotoxic effects and thiamine deficiency. The results demonstrate that both Swedish and Icelandic herring gulls are exposed to genotoxic pollution. Urban specimens have higher levels of DNA adducts than rural specimens, but background exposure to genotoxic environmental pollutants, such as PAHs, is also significant. In the herring gull the general level of DNA adducts in the liver seems to be higher than in fish. DNA adducts were most abundant in the liver, followed by the kidney, intestinal mucosa, and whole blood, in decreasing order. The frequency of micronucleated erythrocytes was probably slightly elevated in all the investigated sites, reflecting a significant background exposure. The level of DNA adducts was unrelated to the frequency of micronucleated erythrocytes, and both these variables were unrelated to symptoms of thiamine deficiency. The investigation confirmed the utility of DNA adducts, and probably also micronucleated erythrocytes, as biomarkers of genotoxicity in birds.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007055	Iceland	A country in northern Europe, an island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom. The capital is Reykjavik.
D004785	Environmental Pollutants	Substances or energies, for example heat or light, which when introduced into the air, water, or land threaten life or health of individuals or ECOSYSTEMS.	Environmental Pollutant,Pollutant,Pollutants,Pollutants, Environmental,Pollutant, Environmental
D004912	Erythrocytes	Red blood cells. Mature erythrocytes are non-nucleated, biconcave disks containing HEMOGLOBIN whose function is to transport OXYGEN.	Blood Cells, Red,Blood Corpuscles, Red,Red Blood Cells,Red Blood Corpuscles,Blood Cell, Red,Blood Corpuscle, Red,Erythrocyte,Red Blood Cell,Red Blood Corpuscle
D005399	Fishes	A group of cold-blooded, aquatic vertebrates having gills, fins, a cartilaginous or bony endoskeleton, and elongated bodies covered with scales.
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013548	Sweden	Country in northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Finland and Norway. The capital is Stockholm.
D015415	Biomarkers	Measurable and quantifiable biological parameters (e.g., specific enzyme concentration, specific hormone concentration, specific gene phenotype distribution in a population, presence of biological substances) which serve as indices for health- and physiology-related assessments, such as disease risk, psychiatric disorders, ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE and its effects, disease diagnosis; METABOLIC PROCESSES; SUBSTANCE ABUSE; PREGNANCY; cell line development; EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES; etc.	Biochemical Markers,Biological Markers,Biomarker,Clinical Markers,Immunologic Markers,Laboratory Markers,Markers, Biochemical,Markers, Biological,Markers, Clinical,Markers, Immunologic,Markers, Laboratory,Markers, Serum,Markers, Surrogate,Markers, Viral,Serum Markers,Surrogate Markers,Viral Markers,Biochemical Marker,Biologic Marker,Biologic Markers,Clinical Marker,Immune Marker,Immune Markers,Immunologic Marker,Laboratory Marker,Marker, Biochemical,Marker, Biological,Marker, Clinical,Marker, Immunologic,Marker, Laboratory,Marker, Serum,Marker, Surrogate,Serum Marker,Surrogate End Point,Surrogate End Points,Surrogate Endpoint,Surrogate Endpoints,Surrogate Marker,Viral Marker,Biological Marker,End Point, Surrogate,End Points, Surrogate,Endpoint, Surrogate,Endpoints, Surrogate,Marker, Biologic,Marker, Immune,Marker, Viral,Markers, Biologic,Markers, Immune
D046091	Charadriiformes	An order of BIRDS including over 300 species that primarily inhabit coastal waters, beaches, and marshes. They are comprised of shorebirds, gulls, and terns.	Gulls,Laridae,Terns,Gull,Tern
D048629	Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective	Defective nuclei produced during the TELOPHASE of MITOSIS or MEIOSIS by lagging CHROMOSOMES or chromosome fragments derived from spontaneous or experimentally induced chromosomal structural changes.	Chromosome-Defective Micronuclei,Genotoxicant-Induced Micronuclei,Micronuclei, Genotoxicant-Induced,Micronucleus, Chromosome-Defective,Chromosome Defective Micronuclei,Chromosome-Defective Micronucleus,Genotoxicant Induced Micronuclei,Genotoxicant-Induced Micronucleus,Micronuclei, Chromosome Defective,Micronuclei, Genotoxicant Induced,Micronucleus, Chromosome Defective,Micronucleus, Genotoxicant-Induced
D018736	DNA Adducts	The products of chemical reactions that result in the addition of extraneous chemical groups to DNA.	DNA Adduct,Adduct, DNA,Adducts, DNA